Fetal iron status regulates maternal iron metabolism during pregnancy in the rat

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology integrative and comparative physiology, 2009-04, Vol.296 (4), p.R1063-R1070
• Main Authors: Gambling, Lorraine, Czopek, Alicja, Andersen, Henriette S, Holtrop, Grietje, Srai, S. Kaila S, Krejpcio, Zbigniew, McArdle, Harry J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - metabolism; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - prevention & control; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - genetics; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - metabolism; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Embryos; Female; Fetal Blood - metabolism; Fetus - drug effects; Fetus - metabolism; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gestational Age; Hematocrit; Hepcidins; Ions; Iron - blood; Iron - metabolism; Iron - therapeutic use; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - embryology; Liver - metabolism; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Maternal-Fetal Exchange - drug effects; Metabolism; Placenta - metabolism; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Transferrin - genetics; Receptors, Transferrin - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Rodents; T cell receptors
• ISSN: 0363-6119; 1522-1490
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.90793.2008

1 Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health and 2 Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, University of Aberdeen, Bucksburn Aberdeen, United Kingdom; 3 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom; and 4 Department of Hygiene and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University, Poznan, Poland Submitted 24 September 2008 ; accepted in final form 21 January 2009 Iron metabolism during pregnancy is biased toward maintaining the fetal supply, even at the cost of anemia in the mother. The mechanisms regulating this are not well understood. Here, we examine iron deficiency and supplementation on the hierarchy of iron supply and the gene expression of proteins that regulate iron metabolism in the rat. Dams were fed iron-deficient diets for 4 wk, mated, and either continued on the deficient diet or an iron-supplemented diet during either the first half or the second half of their pregnancy. A control group was maintained on normal iron throughout. They were killed at 0.5, 12.5, or 21.5 days of gestation, and tissues and blood samples were collected. Deficiency and supplementation had differential effects on maternal and fetal hematocrit and liver iron levels. From early in pregnancy, a hierarchy of iron supply is established benefiting the fetus to the detriment of the mother. Transferrin receptor, transferrin receptor 2, and hepcidin mRNA expression were regulated by both iron deficiency and supplementation. Expression patterns showed both organ and supplementation protocol dependence. Further analysis indicated that iron levels in the fetal, and not maternal, liver regulate the expression of liver transferrin receptor and hepcidin expression in the mother. placenta; deficiency; supplementation Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: H. J. McArdle, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Rd., Aberdeen, AB21 9SB (e-mail: h.mcardle{at}rowett.ac.uk )